The funeral service for Janet Hancock was held on Sabbath, August 14 at 4:00 p.m. in the Orofino Seventh-day Adventist Church in Orofino, Idaho, U.S.A. Here is an image of the outside and inside of the program. In the near future we plan to post a video of the service and the personal tributes that followed.

As most of you know by now, mom went to sleep in Jesus on Friday, August 6, around 7:00 a.m. Her pain at the end was not too severe. The discomfort of approaching death did not drag on and on. Dad was at her bed side attending to her just moments before she breathed her last. For all these things we are deeply grateful.

There will be a funeral service for her at the Orofino Seventh-day Adventist Church at 4:00 p.m. on Sabbath, August 14. There will be a graveside service and she will be buried in the family cemetery, Resurrection Ridge, on her and dad’s place in Orofino, Idaho on Sunday morning at 9:00.

Here is a brief history of mom’s battle with cancer. Near the end of 2007, some routine tests came back with slightly abnormal values. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that one of her kidneys had an intrusive growth near the connection with the ureter heading down to the bladder. Around January of 2008, the kidney was removed and the growth was diagnosed as transitional cell carcinoma.

This type of cancer most commonly shows up in the bladder. In mom’s case, it had taken hold in the kidney. This particular situation is quite rare and doesn’t have the benefit of much research. The cancer was identified as class 3 (of 4), which means it was growing quite aggressively. The doctors had every reason to believe the cancer was encapsulated and they had removed all of it.

There don’t seem to be any known environmental factors associated with the onset of this kind of cancer. It is known, though, that transitional cell carcinoma is statistically more prevalent in Scotland. Mom has strong ancestral connections with Scotland so it looks like she had a genetic vulnerabilty to this cancer.

Mom was clear of any detectable cancer for six months after her surgery. Then it showed up in her liver and lymph nodes. At that point she began treatments with chemotherapy and several natural remedies. Initially, the results exceeded what her oncologists said was possible. They had said that in her condition, the best that could happen was for the chemo to slow the growth of the cancer. There was no likelihood of the chemo reducing the size or incidence of the cancer. However, against all odds, the cancer activity disappeared from the lymph nodes and the spots on her liver shrunk and almost disappeared. Mom was able to travel to Indonesia in January and February of 2009 for a mission trip.

Some months later, however, the cancer returned with a vengence Mom resumed chemo treatments, but around May of 2010, they told her the treatments were no longer having any effect and that there was nothing more medically that could be done to help her.

The last scan (around the beginning of July, 2010) showed that her liver is now completely enclosed by the cancer. All together there were two separate times when the cancer disappeared to the extent it was not visible on the PET scan. Each time it came back some months later.

It appears the cancer is now affecting her body’s ability to regulate her sodium level and the production of hemoglobin. Mom has been in and out of the hospital a couple of times but was discharged from the hospital yesterday (Monday, July 27) since her condition is not improving and there are no further treatments that can help.

If you know mom, please post her a comment on this blog somewhere so she can read an enjoy it in the time she has remaining.

Janet’s current condition makes it very difficult for her to have the energy to receive personal visits from her friends. Because there are so many who love her and want to visit, her family decided to video tape her sharing some thoughts that she wants her friends to know. Click the video link above to hear those thoughts.

Please feel free to leave comments. Janet would love to hear from her friends.

Janet’s Book:

“That We May Know Him”

A practical guidebook to the character of God

Description: Let God tell us who He is through His Word. In this book there are hundreds of powerful Bible verses describing God's character and personality attributes. This Biblical guide shows us how God's people are to reflect His perfect character. Included are introductory comments by E.G. White, a 19th century inspirational author.

About the author/compiler: Janet Hancock was convinced that the one and only important thing in life is to know the eternal god, Whom to know is life eternal. In her 70's at the time of this book's writing, she looks back on her life as a "goal-oriented" busy woman, a nurse, pastor's wife, mother, missionary, health educator and public health worker. She now fully realizes that the greatest goal in life is to know God and be known by Him. Everything else is irrelevant, unimportant, and immaterial. We don't need theories, speculations, or philosophies about God. We can know Him ourselves as He reveals Himself through His word. May this book help you know Him, Whom to know is life eternal.